Free Software Reads Powerpoint Slides Natural Voice
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Automatic speech for PowerPoint presentations.
PowerTalk is a free programme that automatically speaks whatsoever presentation or slide show running in Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows.
Yous just download and install PowerTalk and while you open up and run the presentation every bit usual information technology speaks the text on your slides. The advantage over other generic 'Text To Speech' programs is that PowerTalk is able to speak text as it appears and can also speak subconscious text attached to images.
Speech is provided past the synthesised calculator voices that are provided with Windows 7, Vista and XP, and other voices are available. PowerTalk uses PowerPoint supplied with Microsoft Office to show the presentation.
PowerTalk was created in response to an open letter calling for help from a person with Asphasia. This appeared in Ability magazine, 'Candidature for Accessible IT' published by John Lamb Media for the British Computer Society Disability Group in association with AbilityNet.
The OATSoft website is home to PowerTalk and many other Open Source Assistive Technology Software (OATS) projects.
Contents.
- Features;
- Download;
- Requirements;
- Using PowerTalk;
- Back up;
- Licence;
- Reviews;
- Modify notes;
- Contribute;
- Donate;
- Creating accessible presentations;
- Projection notes;
- Credits;
Features.
- Aids you if you accept difficulty speaking or you accept an audition that contains people with sight problems (visual impairments, depression vision or blind) or who have dyslexia;
- Helps y'all access presentations when in that location is no speaker and yous are partially sighted;
- Creates engaging school activities such as reading stories created by students;
- Uncomplicated to utilise equally you just select a presentation and it runs in PowerPoint every bit usual;
- Speaks the text on any presentation and uses standard Windows speech;
- Waits for text to appear and animation effects to play before speaking;
- Will speak hidden 'alternative text' for pictures, graphics shapes and text;
- Lets yous add instant narration to presentations without the need to record speech;
- Is a useful tool for testing presentation accessibility when using a screen reader;
- Is mature with 1000s of downloads and several reviews from people who take establish it useful;
- Free (gratis - as in 'free beer'). No purchase, registration or adverts, you simply download and run it;
- Free (libre - every bit in 'free speech'). The Open Source Licence guarantees you the freedom to make copies and to change its behaviour;
- Is listed on DMOZ and on Google web directories;
- Anyone can contribute to the projection and developers volition observe it is a SourceForge projection;
- Is an example of Open up Source Assistive Technology Software, or OATS. Observe out more than on the Fullmeasure.co.united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland abode page.
- Is a featured project in the OATSoft Open Source Assistive Technology Software projection which brings the benefits of Open Source software to Assistive Technology users;
Download PowerTalk.
PowerTalk requires that yous accept PowerPoint 2000 (or later) and the Microsoft Speech API (SAPI) five.1 (role of Windows XP). This is explained below.
Click on this icon to download the PowerTalk 1.2.fourteen [iii.4 MB] installation program. In one case downloaded, Open/Run the installer and after the installation is complete you can open the demo presentation to test PowerTalk works correctly. PowerTalk Portable [iii.viii MB) is also available and runs without any installation making it ideal for running off a USB stick or in enterprise situations.
Previous versions of all files tin can exist found at the SourceForge PowerTalk Project Files Page.
Being an open source product, the source code [810 KB] is freely available for those who wish to come across or employ it. Please encounter the licence section below for terms.
Requirements, what you must have to run PowerTalk.
PowerTalk runs on Windows XP, VISTA, 7 (it should besides piece of work on NT iv.0 and Windows 2000).
You must have PowerPoint 2000 or later installed. Unfortunately the Microsoft PowerPoint viewer is not useable as it does not provide the basic functionality that PowerTalk requires.
The Microsoft Speech API 5.1 (MS SAPI 5.i) must be installed and if y'all have Windows XP or later yous will already have information technology. (For earlier versions of Windows you tin can download and install the SAPI Text To Voice communication (TTS) components [12MB]) This download tin can besides be used with Windows XP and will then add two voices (Mike and Mary) to the unmarried voice that is supplied with XP (Sam). To check if y'all have SAPI installed, wait for a vocalism in Control Console'south Speech communication Settings (Get-go -> Control Console -> Speech -> Text To Speech). Please note that the PowerTalk cannot use the earlier SAPI 4, although it is apparently possible to have both SAPI four & 5 installed on the same machine.
Basic sound capabilities are required. Nigh PCs with a sound card or 'on board' Air-conditioning'97 sound will need only the improver of a uncomplicated powered speaker(s). Older PCs, or those that tin only produce simple 'beeps' trough an internal speaker, may require additional sound hardware. You tin test your PC's audio capabilities with the 'Preview Voice' facility in the Command Panel's Speech settings.
Using PowerTalk.
Opening Presentations.
NB! - some people are experiencing errors when opening a presentation from the PowerTalk file dialog. Please correct click in explorer and select 'Characterize with PowerTalk'.
There are a number of means to get PowerTalk to narrate a PowerPoint Presentation (.ppt / .pptx file) or Slide Show (.pps / .ppsx file):
Note: ppt and pps files are identical except for the ppt/pps role of the filename, the difference being what happens when they are opened. A .ppt file may be be saved in PowerPoint as a .pps file or else a .ppt file can exist simply renamed as a .pps.
- Open up a Slide Show. Encounter below for details.
- Right click on a Presentation or Slide Show and select 'Narrate with PowerTalk'.
- Drag a Slide Show file onto a PowerPoint program shortcut.
- Browse to a Presentation or Slide Bear witness using the dialog that appears when launching PowerTalk from the Beginning menu. The initial folder used may be specified using the shortcut 'Start in' holding or adding the folder name every bit a parameter.
- Create a specific shortcut. Specify PowerTalk.exe equally the target and the presentation file as a parameter(eastward.g. "C:\Program Files\PowerTalk\PowerTalk.exe" "MyShow.ppt").
By default PowerTalk will narrate Slide Shows when they are opened exterior of PowerPoint (e.g. by double-clicking or right click and 'characterize' in Windows Explorer). Slide Show files may still exist shown without narration by opening within PowerPoint or right-clicking on them and selecting 'show'. During installation at that place is an option to disable this feature and another option to enable information technology for Presentations. This behaviour may be changed at a afterward time by using the PowerTalk settings selection in the startmenu (or as follows: open Windows Explorer (Windows key + E), select 'Tools' -> 'Folder Options' -> 'File Types', type 'PPS', select 'Advanced', select 'show' from the list (or 'open' for .ppt files) and so select 'Set Default').
Controlling Speech.
Text tin be entered on a slide in either a single text box or carve up into multiple boxes and these are handled slighty differently.
The text in whatever single box is spoken continuously from elevation to lesser. Private boxs are spoken in the order they are added to the slide. In that location appears to be no manner to modify this and the manner to force a different lodge is to create a new slide and copy the text boxes in the required social club (hint: click on the box border and copy).
Blithe text is spoken in the lodge that the animations play, waiting for each to complete before speaking the next. Notwithstanding if a number of animations are used within a unmarried text box, PowerTalk waits for the commencement animation only and then speaks all the remaining text. You may want to break the text into divide boxes and breathing each.
It is possible to specify the text spoken for images (and indeed whatsoever object including text) by entering Alternative Web Text for the epitome. This is washed as follows: right click on the paradigm, select 'format object' ('size and shape' in Office 2007), select the Web tab and enter the alternative text to exist spoken (there may already be some alt text when images are cutting and paste from web pages). If you enter a space then zero is spoken at all.
Information technology is besides possible to have text spoken that is not visible on the slide, for example to provide narration in improver to the slide content. One way is to add some text to a slide that is 1 or more spaces, which is and then not visible, and set the Alternative Web Text to exist the text to be spoken. If you lot have slide notes that yous would like read then these can exist copied to the Culling text. Other ways to make text invisible are to drag it off the slide or set the text colour to be aforementioned as the background (and make it behind other text) then y'all do not need to gear up the Culling text. It tin can be difficult to reselect invisible text later in order to modify information technology unless you option a consequent placement (e.g top left of slide). One way is to drag a pick rectangle over the area where it is known to be.
Spoken communication Options.
The voice used and the speed of narration can be changed with the settings in the 'Speech communication Settings' section of Control Panel (on the 'Text To Speech' tab). At that place is a PowerTalk startmenu item that opens these settings.
Windows XP comes with as single vocalization 'Sam'. The 'SAPI TTS components' download bachelor in the Downloads department will add together 'Mike' and 'Mary'. A range of additional SAPI five.i voices are bachelor and examples include AT&T Natural Voices, Nuance RealSpeak, Neospeech and IBM ViaVoice
The offset fourth dimension that PowerTalk is run y'all may notice a small delay as it analyses your PowerPoint and Speech API installations.
Back up, getting help and community.
PowerTalk is very simple to install and run if your auto meets the requirements. A couple of common problems are:
- If when you run PowerTalk you get an error message box saying 'Call was rejected past callee' then brand sure you lot close all PowerPoint windows earlier starting PowerTalk.
- If you are are using Windows XP and getting pop-up errors indicating bug with SAPI please ensure that you have SAPI 5.1 and non SAPI v.0.
If yous have another problems or would like discuss PowerTalk with others you lot can post or email the PowerTalk group.
Licence, what you are allowed to practice with PowerTalk.
This software is Open up Source Software, that is, non-proprietary and is issued under the GPL 2.0 licence. You are free to copy or modify it as you like as long as you do not utilize it every bit part of any proprietary software. If yous make whatever changes nosotros would be very interested to know about them so that we tin can include them into the principal release.
Reviews.
The person for whom PowerTalk was created for submitted a review to Power magazine. A subsequent article on PowerTalk and OATS also appeared.
In that location is a concise product summary available at the TechDis Accessibility Database.
Geetesh Bajaj has written a review and tutorial on his 'treasure trove' PowerPoint site 'Indezine'.
Modify History.
Several improvements have been made since it'due south inital release and details can be found in the Projection News. This information is also available equally the 
RSS feed (Encounter introducing XML/RSS Feeds).
Contributing to the PowerTalk project.
As PowerTalk is OpenSource Software you lot are encouraged to contribute your ideas or to assistance develop it. If you find PowerTalk useful you might also like to donate funds towards developing it and other OATS projects. In that location are a few ideas for enhancements and bug fixes that you lot might like to work on. PowerTalk is a SourceForge project.
Donate.
If you find PowerTalk useful then please do concider donating to Total Measure out's work. The Donate page makes it like shooting fish in a barrel to contribute using a credit card or Pay Pal account.
Creating Accessible presentations.
PowerTalk does a expert job of making whatever presentation more accessible by automatically speaking the text. Information technology tin can narrate animated text as information technology appears and will as well speak PowerPoint's 'Spider web Alternative Text' intended for Spider web Browser utilize. Thus apart from being an accessibility tool in its right PowerTalk can be used to test how a presentation volition sound with a other tools such every bit screen readers.
In that location are many techniques and tools for creating truly accessible presentations. A good place to start enquiry is Glenna Shaw's first-class and thorough article The Incredible, Attainable Presentation. The RNIB too have a page the explains some of the basics of presenting with PowerPoint.
Writing Text to Improve Synthetic Speech communication provides elementary guidelines that can be practical when authoring text in order to maximize the quality of sythetic spoken communication output.
Although the the speakers delivery is more important than the text on the slides there are general guides to writing clear English that volition assist make your message clear. MENCAP have a guide to Making your web site attainable for people with a learning disability that has much good advice on content cosmos. Writing Global English from Audience Dialog provides background and How to write Global English gives specific guidelines for writing to include people whose first language is not English. I remember the principles should also apply when writing for those with learning difficulties and volition aid improve readability in general. Both dyslexic.com and Plain English language Campaign have some cracking resources.
For some light relief you could read Edward Tufte's commodity on how PowerPoint corrupts. It is also available 'remixed' every bit a presentation. The opposite view is presented by 5 others.
Project Notes.
PowerTalk was originally conceived every bit a solution to a specific need and too to demonstarate the power of Open up Source software for Assitive Technology solutions. Open up Source offers many advantages to users and these may exist especially important to users of Assistive Technology. Some of the advantages are; low cost, reliability, fast access to changes or fixes and availability. 'Open Source' is likewise called 'Complimentary', FOSS and FLOSS software.
The lawmaking was donated to the Speechmakers projection. Speechmakers aims to provide flexible and low-price solutions to enable people to communicate more than easily with others. Information technology uses the latest applied science and research to provide solutions to individual needs. The flexibility and power of modernistic Computers is harnessed by using high quality and innovative software created by a team of developers, students and volunteers. Software is released under an Open Source licence, meaning that information technology is low cost and that changes can be fabricated easily, for case if yous would similar new features or find bugs that need to be fixed.
PowerTalk will be a featured project in the OATS Open Source Assistive Technology Software project. OATS will brand the great benefits of Open Source software readily available to Assistive Engineering users.
PowerTalk conspicuously demonstrates how a small amount of custom scripting code can transform todays highly customisable applications to come across a user'south specific requirements. I am keen to develop this idea into a service providing a repository of such programs and templates meeting specific needs. A cardinal role could be an an active community of users providing requirments, ideas and discussion. If you are interested or have any ideas please contact me.
The Python program language was used to create PowerTalk. Python is a powerful, high-level, flexible and extensible language that is Open Source. It is a clean and easy to develop in and is fun! A big active community exists who have developed a massive range of loftier-quality library modules covering well-nigh conceivable programming tasks.
Credits.
Ross Gravel for the original asking and Ability Magazine for publishing it
Simon Judge for the Speechmakers Projection concept, assistance, ideas, much back up and bandwidth
Glenna Shaw for the 'get powertalk' graphic
Guido van Rossum and many, many others for Python
Mark Hammond for the Python Windows extensions and assistance with COM consequence problems
Gordon McMillan for the Python installer
Jordan Russell for the unrivalled Inno Setup
Neb Gates and Microsoft for Windows, PowerPoint and SAPI
Richard Stallman for the Free Software concept, GNU and all that has followed
DMOZ and Google for inquiry tools
Jason Clifford for UKFSN for 'Free Software' friendly Isp and hosting services
Chilkat Software for 'ZIP ii Secure EXE' used to create SAPI TTS installer
Bruce Ingraham & Emma Bradburn for the stylesheet used for this text
SourceForge for OpenSource project hosting services
Source: https://fullmeasure.co.uk/powertalk/
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